Consciousness
Consciousness is a short story following Vantelic, as he experiences his first conscious moments, four months since the events of the Coldest Day. Story Cold blood pounded through Vantelic's veins; as a chilling sensation ran down his clammy flesh. It was the usual effect that most people would have experienced four months after their last conscious moments. Except he spent his time bleeding his essence into the snow, after he had wrested a crime lord out of a burning building, stories above the ground. The next moment, he was awake in a recovery center on a foreign island; four months since the last time he was awake, at least consciously. He had been named Vantelic, the hero of the Coldest Day, despite the fact he hadn’t recalled what he has done that can be classified as heroic. He had barely any nourishment, his lips felt dry and he felt very spent. Despite four months of rest, his muscles ached as he moved through the hallway, guided by a taller—much more slender being he has yet to be acquainted with. He had no choice whether or not he could follow the being, they had him against his will—he was at the mercy and at the thanks of these people. As he limped by, others turned their heads to watch as he passed by; as if they were in some sort of awe. Vantelic tried to speak, but his throat constricted—and all that was made was a deep growl. He was lead to a brightly lit coliseum, as he turned his head round about to make out the beings which made up the crowd. Millions of questions filled his mind at once, prioritizing in order of importance. He swallowed, preparing his vocal cords for his first question: Where is this place? But his throat allowed for no sound, burning before he could emit a sound. He was greeted by a calming, but powerful voice; that belonged to a Toa of Water in the middle, albeit highest seat in the council. He nodded, making sure she understood that he could hear and process her words clearly. She spoke once more, asking for his name; although this question not directed towards him, although the same being who accompanied him earlier. And this being knew his name as well, and said it with clarity: Vantelic. He was asked questions by the Toa, questions he could not answer; but who his aide could. The words she spoke asked for what he did, why he did it, and more specifically what happened during the Coldest Day. A disturbed emotion rolled over Vantelic as he realized that his aide knew about his lifestyle, that he had attended a War College in a foreign land, studied as an Aerospace and Defense Engineer on Versuva, knew about his life as a vigilante, about his closest friends: Vadkii and Kamien. He wanted to ask what happened to Kamien, but he came at a struggle for words. The Toa just nodded her head, before she turned to Vantelic specifically—locking gazes with him; as if she was peering into his soul, his express emotion; whether he had a desire for good, or for evil. She didn’t judge him, as she looked over his numerous scars and bruises. She seemed to understand his condition. He was troubled, he had lost a great friend; and been hurt and injured both physically and emotionally by the Bounty Hunters tasked to destroy him and everything he knew. He was troubled that he fell back onto killing, spitting on his own honor not to do so—an honor he modeled very closely to the Toa Code. He was troubled he hadn’t done better, hadn’t premeditated his course of action. He expected punishment from the council, as a majority of them belonged to species who strived to achieve common peace and purpose. He didn’t expect to be forgiven for his actions, to be understood and pitied, not that he wanted to be. But it would have given him comfort to know they at least felt sorrowful for his crimes. But the leader of the council leaned forward, intrigued by Vantelic as he stood in the midst of such beings. She understood that his purpose and his actions were to defend not only himself, but the others he cared about—the defenseless and the weak. He worked through suggested methods, there was no denying that fact, but they worked. They worked to overcome a threat that could have only gotten larger if he hadn’t contained it. Through few words she accepted him, put aside the fact he wasn’t worthy to stand among a group of individuals who hadn’t contemplated the wrongs he himself had done. She told him that he did what no other could do; he prevented a full-scale war, a hostile takeover, and dealt with some of the most dangerous individuals in the universe. Vantelic still felt weakness, but had a great weight taken off his shoulders; as the council soon began to understand his situation. She offered him a friendship, an ability to contribute to a secret organization created to serve the will of the Great Spirit: Mata Nui. He was reluctant to agree, his course of action wasn’t worthy of recommendation; nor was it one which should have given on the account of honor. But these thoughts would soon be overtaken by others, allowing for a flood of thought—a flood of understanding he could contribute much more than his natural talent in a fight. He could contribute his skill in the Aerospace and Defense fields of engineering. Supposing he still had his designs and if the Order could fund them, he could contribute ships, armor, and weapons. He could contribute much more than just his skill in a fight, his talent in combat. He could contribute a fighting chance for other members of the Order. The Toa Leader seemed to read his thoughts exactly, smiling a thin line behind her ancient Kanohi. She bowed her head a bit in agreement, the members of the council looking round about in a pleased manner. Vantelic accepted this gesture, as this made it clear to him that he had become a member of his order for surety. He was a member of the Order of Mata Nui, his destiny has made that clear ever since the fateful days which inhabited his past. He had work to do. Trivia *''Consciousness'' was a short story created to detail how and why Vantelic was accepted to join the Order of Mata Nui, and to pry into Vantelic's feelings on why he did what he did four months prior. *During the story, not one word of dialogue was written for any character to speak. This is because Vantelic had become a mute, due to the stress and the pains which he obtained during the Coldest Day. It was a story meant to be written for silence. *Convinced that the Wikia hated him, the author was incapable of creating pages. Rando addressed the issue and created the article, which the author then hijacked. Category:User:FireDrag1091 Category:Stories